I find 'real New York' nannies: Teen start-up founder

Noa Mintz is a freshman in high school, and she's taking the New York City childcare scene by storm, catering to a huge urban market.

Now 15, Mintz started Nannies by Noa in August 2012. She said she saw a need through her own experiences growing up in the city.

"My mom went through a lot of nannies. We had a lot of discussion, and I came to the conclusion that the agency she was working with didn't know what a New York nanny was. ... It's sort of a vibe," Mintz said Friday in an interview on CNBC's "Squawk Box."

"I knew what kids wanted in a nanny. I had the unique perspective. So I set out to start with a couple family friends," Mintz said. "Then people thought it was a really good idea to have a kid helping them. And trust for the brand grew."

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Mintz recently expanded and hired Allison Johnson as CEO so she could focus on her education. Johnson, a social worker and New York City native, had originally applied to be a nanny for the service.

"I just didn't know her age," Johnson said. "I thought she was a savvy New York City woman who had started this agency on her own." Instead of hiring her for her childminding skills, Mintz recruited Johnson to lead her company.

Mintz trains her interviewers to talk with prospective nannies and babysitters in person. "I would [then] do a phone interview to sort of give the seal of approval that they were that real New York nanny."

It's difficult to put into words the qualifications, she said. "It's someone who's not scared of situations—New York City is a scary place sometimes—who is very savvy, and can jump on the floor and play with kids and is really ready for anything."